Windows activation bugged

Aloha,  
Well I received my system set it up and started it up, and it worked beautifully. Then it came to the Windows activation screen which i did via the internet ad everything was cool. When I went to shut it down I got a message that windows was installing updates and that it would shut the system down for me when it was through. Well it shut down, but when I went to start it up today I was taken to a login screen (which i never set up) and was told that this copy of windows was not activated and would i like to do so now?. So I tried it again via the internet and was told that it did not receive it so i was directed to the telephone activation site. I followed the directions and was told that i had completed it successfully. However, when i went and clicked on the login button I received the same message about needing to activate this copy of windows (XP Pro). So I click okay and get a message window saying that this copy has successfully been registered, so i click okay and it loops back all over again. I HATE MICROSFT! Sure could use some help because i cant use this awesome rig that i just bought.
Mahalo

Thx for the reply Kelly...but after digging around the internet for about 45 mins. my son found something that he said might fix it, he said he didn't know if it was legal or if it would work but he said the worst thing that could happen was that we might have to reinstall XP again...so he loaded it and lo and behold it worked ! I knew there was a reason for me having kids